@Stephen Y.: As you already found out, the correct answer to last week’s question was the Gutenberg Bible. I have to say I felt really proud of myself with that week’s question as it was the first time since watching the show where I was comfortable enough in my knowledge of the subject that I did not have to research the question before submitting the answer².

@Jorge: Mind you it’s been many weeks since I did challenge #3, but as I recall it’s a matter of which way the wind is blowing (watch the clouds to determine this) and then of timing. For me, I had to wait for the ship to touch the raised chain and start it’s turn. While it was turning, I aimed for the right-hand side of the screen and fired. That allowed me to hit the ship by basically having them sail right into my canonball.

@Everybody else: Keep in mind that I only started watching TH/playing the online game with week 6. My guesses for the final location of the treasure were:

1. Washington, D.C.
2. Washington, D.C.
3. Library of Congress
4. Lincoln Memorial

As you were warned, my guess were all lame & inaccurate. I guess it is just as well that I didn’t get picked as one of the final 10 contests as the odds would have been against me winning. *shrug* Oh well, you can’t win ‘em all.

¹ According to this post on the NBC message boards for Treasure Hunters, the correct final answer was Smithsonian National Museum of American History.
² It didn’t hurt my ego that I also answered that question before my wife did either (also a first since I started watching the show).

NBC’s Treasure Hunters: Finale © Mark McKibben, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States.

Krystal wrote:

I am having a hard time with the latest Treasure Hunters Challenge…When I pick up the Gold Dabloon (sp?), all I get is either an extra pair of goggles or Laird’s wallet. I took out the business card from the wallet and typed in “Emergency Support” in the Visa “department” line, it says I do not need emergency support at this time. Can you help me??…I’ve been putting Library of Congress also and I haven’t gotten anything like that either :(

As I recall from last night, there were 3 items on the river bed: a wallet, a boot and the doubloon. First, empty your web browser’s cache and then restart your browser. In the IRC channel I had been hanging around on last night, that seemed to clear up most of the really weird stuff. If that doesn’t work make sure you are following my instructions step-by-step. If you get stuff out of order, things may not work right. If you’re still having problems and want more immediate feedback, try going to NBCTreasureHunters.com and following their instructions for connecting to the IRC server & chatroom they are using. It’s a really good resource for getting help with the puzzles. If all that fails, leave a comment on this post with a detailed workflow of what you’ve tried and where you are getting stuck.

sandra r. wrote:

i need help week 8 is there any help for me

on disability need money so bad please help me

Hmm, well there’s the help I spelled out in my solution to challenge #8. There’s the NBCTreasureHunters.com website (and their instructions for getting to an IRC server where you can chat live with other hunters. However, you should keep in mind even if you solve all the puzzles correctly; the official rules state “the Administrator will select ten (10) Winners from all eligible entries in a random drawing.” This means there’s no guarantee you’ll ever get any money from playing along with the NBC Treasure Hunters online game.
Beyond that maybe one of these websites can assist you:

• DisabilityInfo.gov
• Benefits For People With Disabilities
• Disability Resources Monthly Guide to Disability Resources on the Internet

neil wrote:

what is the combination for the final clue? I dont have a printer to do the folding thing.please help! thanks

Check out the footnotes at the bottom of my solution to challenge #8.

rob wrote:

any luck with the 8th challenge, i got the coin and things but when i get back to the boat the seagull knocks the backpack into the water. was not sure if it is something i am doing/or not doing.

Check out my solution to challenge #8 starting with step #14.

Tristine wrote:

Hi, can you please help me with the order for the final puzzle? I have the cutout of the star and have entered all the possible combinations that I see (“feather symbol”, sun, door with “c”, hands, book, arrow, other door) and I cannot get it to work. Please help! Thanks!

Check out the footnotes at the bottom of my solution to challenge #8. To be perfectly honest, I had my wife do the cutout thing for me, couldn’t figure it out and relied upon the kind people chatting about the puzzle in the #steeple_media IRC channel on AccessIRC. You might also want to read one of the comments on my post covering my solution to challenge #8.

ben wrote:

how do you arrange the puzzle pieces? it looks right but the fireplace is not opening.

Make sure your pieces on the gameboard are arranged in exactly the same method as shown in the image on my solution to challenge #8 post. If you’re still having problems, try clearing your web browser’s cache, restarting your webrowser and trying again.

NBC’s Treasure Hunters: Additional Questions © Mark McKibben, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States.

1. Click on the ladder to head up into the bunk area.
2. Click on the lockers.
3. Click on the middle locker to open it.
4. Take both the net and the goggles.
5. Back out of the bunk area.
6. Click on the door leading to the bridge.
7. Click on the right-hand control panel.
8. Click on the right lever. This should shut off the display and light up the red buttons.
9. Click the 2nd button from the top to sound the ship’s fog horn.
10. Back out of the bridge.
11. Now that the horn has scared off the seagull, click on the toolbox and take the flashlight.
12. Click the water to the side of the ship to go diving. NOTE: You will have to leave your backpack behind, but get to take the net, goggles and flashlight with you.
13. You control the diver with your mouse and there are 3 items on the river bed. I found it easiest to drag swim until directly over the item and then head straight down to get them.
14. Once you have all 3 items, head back to the ship. When you reach the ship, you’ll be automatically placed back on deck. The seagull will also return knocking your backpack into the water.
15. Dive back into the water to retrieve your backpack.
16. Click on the door to go back to the bridge.
17. Click on the right-hand control panel.
18. Click on the levers until the panel on your left lights up.
19. Enter “emergency support” for the department.
20. Click purchase on to get the replacement backpack.²
21. Click submit to send the game the details automatically provided (there does not appear to be anyway to change the settings given).
22. Click submit again to send your Verified by Visa password²
23. Click ok to the message that the replacement will arrive in 0–4 business days.
24. Back out of the bridge to the deck.
25. A helicopter will swoop in and lower a crate to you. Click on the crate.
26. Then the helicopter will take up a hovering position to the left of the ship. Click on the helicopter.
27. Enter “Mexico City“³ and hit submit.
28. In Mexico City, click near the bottom of the game screen. This will display a 15 piece scramble puzzle depicting some Aztec symbols. Solve the puzzle to get your next puzzle piece.
    Letters stand in place of the puzzle pieces while * is the blank square.

    A B C D
    E F G H
    I J K L
    M N O *

    A B C D
    E F G H
    I J K L
    M N * O

    A B C D
    E F G H
    I J K L
    M * N O

    A B C D
    E F G H
    I J K L
    * M N O

    A B C D
    E F G H
    * J K L
    I M N O

    A B C D
    * F G H
    E J K L
    I M N O

    * B C D
    A F G H
    E J K L
    I M N O

    B * C D
    A F G H
    E J K L
    I M N O

    B C * D
    A F G H
    E J K L
    I M N O

    B C D *
    A F G H
    E J K L
    I M N O

    B C D H
    A F G *
    E J K L
    I M N O

    B C D H
    A F G L
    E J K *
    I M N O

    B C D H
    A F G L
    E J K O
    I M N *

29. Then you get a message congratulating you on solving the puzzle and the last of your puzzle pieces floats up from the blank square.

When you get back to the gameboard, you’ll have a message saying “You have one more puzzle to solve before you receive your final clue.” Ignore that for the moment and click on the selection of puzzle pieces. If you don’t know already, when these pieces are properly aligned they form the national mall in Washington, D.C.⁴ Align the pieces so they look like this

Once you align the puzzle pieces correctly, you’ll be automatically taken back to the gameboard and the back of the fireplace will rise up to reveal a hidden passage. Click the fireplace to continue. Listen to a short blurb from the show’s host about Betsy Ross preferring to use a 5 pointed star because it can be done in a single cut. Click the book in the center of the room and then click to either get the PDF or JPEG version of the image. Print the image⁵, then fold & cut the paper according to the directions on your print out. Examine the print out noting where the symbols appear in relation to the star. Then click the box in the middle of the room and arrange the symbols in the same order as what you see on your print out⁶. Once you’ve lined the symbols up correctly, the box opens and reveals the final clue. After collecting the last clue, you will be taken back to the gameboard where you can make your final guess as to the location of the treasure⁸. Happy hunting!

¹ A good friend’s wife invited me to a surprise party for him to celebrate his new job and his 50th birthday.
² Ok, I’d say this section definitely wasn’t necessary but gave Visa some “decent” advertising. Except that the game requires you to do this to get to the helicopter to get out of here.
³ Capital of the Spanish empire in the Americas when the ships were sunk.
⁴ Yes, I know that one piece does look rather like Florida.
⁵ Yup, you need a printer. Which sucks, but what are you going to do quit now? I think not!
⁶ If you don’t have a printer, then the order of the symbols should be: Sun Door Hands Apron⁷ Shovel Trowel^9
7 I saw a lot of people online calling this an envelope, however it is actually a Masonic apron.
⁸ Sorry, but I’m not going to list my guess here. I want to buy a house and even after taxes $200,000 would help me buy a seriously nice house in my area. :D
⁹As Runyon correctly points out this isn’t a shovel but actually a trowel. Which does make a lot more sense given all of the Masonic symbols and imagery they’ve been using through out the channels.

NBC’s Treasure Hunters: Challenge #8 © Mark McKibben, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States.

1. Click in the lower right of the screen to enter the graveyard.
2. In the graveyard, click the tombstone closest, on the right-hand side, to the Rockefeller crypt.
3. When Washington Irving’s tombstone pulls up, click towards the base of the stone on the right, to get the key.
4. Go back to the church.
5. Use the key to open the door.
6. Go into the church.
7. On your right, just below the window, there is a box of matches. Click and take them.
8. Click on the candelabra. Next you have to get all the candles lit, but clicking on one candle will light several of them and can extinguish others. I’m labeling the candles from left to right, starting at the top and working down as A — D/1 — 4. I.e. the candle in the upper left corner would be A1, while the one in the lower right would be D4. Click the candles in this order:
   1. D1
   2. A1
   3. C3
   4. B3
   5. C4
   6. B4

   If that’s not clear enough for you, try reading these instructions over at NBCTreasureHunters.com.

9. Exit the church.
10. Go back into the graveyard and enter Rockefeller’s crypt (the gate should now be open).
11. Inside the crypt.
12. Go right.
13. Jump across the small gap to the globe.
14. On the globe, move your mouse until the key shows: 37° N, 77° W.
15. Click on that location to get the 2nd Generworth Financial Insurance Policy
16. Then go left and down.
17. Then go left and down again.
18. Then right and right again.
19. Then up, slightly to the right and up again.
20. Then right, down, slightly left and down again.
21. Click on the level.
22. Click on the chain to put it in your backpack.
23. Then up, up, left, up, slightly left, up, right, up.
24. Run left, left and jump at the last second. This is the only way to get across the long jump.
25. Left, down, down, left and into the door.
26. Click and take the book.
27. Then return to the globe: up, left, up, right, down, right, right, down, right, down, left, down, left, left, up, right and up.
28. On the globe, move your mouse until the key shows: 42° N, 80° W.
29. Click on your backpack and take out the chain.
30. Click on the back of the pickup truck. Clicking near the top of the tailgate worked for me on my 4th (maybe 5th) time through after closing my browser and starting over from scratch.
31. Once the chain is attached, click the truck again and it will pull the trailer forward revealing a door.
32. Click on the door to open it.
33. Click in the doorway to go inside.
34. Click on the table to zoom in.
35. Click on the table drawer to get this week’s puzzle piece.

NOTE: Some people online have reported having trouble getting and/or using the chain. If this happens to you; it sounds like your only option is to completely exit your browser and try it all over again. I didn’t have any problems getting the chain, but I’m on my 4th maybe 5th time running through the challenge trying to use the chain.

Rumor: According to an IRC channel I was hanging out on; if you enter “the library of congress” (without the quotation marks) as your guess for the location to the final treasure, you will get an entry form to be one of the 10 people going on the final episode. Unfortunately when I tried that myself, all I got was…

*sigh* And $200,000 would buy such a nice house in my area of the country. ;)

NBC’s Treasure Hunters: Challenge #7 © Mark McKibben, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States.

Anyway, I’ve been following the show for a couple of weeks and I’ve gotten help from the NBC.com forums on solving the weekly puzzles. Since I appear to be slightly ahead of the curve at the moment, below the cut are is my solution to this week’s puzzle. You should only read past the cut if you don’t mind spoiling the puzzle for yourself.

Treasure Hunters: Puzzle #6

1. Click on the globe.
2. Spin the globe until you can see the western seaboard of the continental United States.
3. Hover your mouse around the western seaboard until the dialog box shows 38&#176 North, 119&#176 West. Then click the globe.
4. You’ll arrive in Bodie, California. Click on the doorway to the building on your left.
5. In the saloon, click on the player piano.
6. Click on the fourth piano roll from the left on top of the piano. This will open a secret compartment behind the photo in the upper-right section of the screen.
7. Take the 9 bags of silver and exit the saloon.
8. Click on the doorway of the building to your right.
9. Click to the left and slightly behind the cash register.
10. Take the wagon wheel.
11. Click on the scale.
12. Divide the bags of silver into 3 groups of 3. We’ll call them A, B & C.
13. Weigh Group A vs. Group B.
    • If A < B, then A contains the diluted bag & C contains all silver.
    • If A > B, then B contains the diluted bag & C contains all silver.
    • IF A = B, then C contains the diluted bag.
14. Dump all the bags known to have silver to one side.
15. Divde the group with the diluted bag into 3 individual bags (D, E, F).
16. Weigh D vs. E, leaving F by itself on oneside of the playing area.
    • If D < E, then D is the diluted bag.
    • If D > E, then E is the diluted bag.
    • If D = E, then F is the diluted bag.
17. The cash register should now pop open. Click inside to receive a piece of paper reading:
    

    Names of the dead or missing should be posted on Lotta’s Fountain

18. Exit the general store.
19. Click in the alley between the two buildings.
20. Click on the wagon.
21. Click on your backpack to open it.
22. Click on the wagon wheel to take it out of your backpack.
23. Click on the wagon wheel again to attach it to the wagon.
24. Click on the wagon and type in “San Francisco” without the quotes when it asks you where to go.
25. Click on your backpack to open it.
26. Click on the bags of silver to take them out of your backpack.
27. Click on the bags of silver again to advance to the next stage of the puzzle (did you notice the “will work for treasure sign”?).
28. Click on the button labeled “It’ll cost you”.
29. Watch extremely carefully as the game rotates the cups around, try to keep track of the cup with a treasure bag under it.
30. Once the cups stop moving you must click on the one over the treasure bag. Unfortunately, this is a random process and I cannot tell you which cup it will be under. It took me several tries to get it right (using the restart challenge feature). Good luck!

¹ Sure, it’s random pick after you get the right answer (easily checked out via Google. But if I win, as unlikely as that is to happen, that’s a lot of bills which would instantly vanish.
² Why yes, I really would use big chunks of money like that to pay bills. I’ve got Scottish blood in my veins, what did you expect? *grin*

NBC’s Treasure Hunters © Mark McKibben, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States.